Because of some convoluted process that would stump even the person who came up with the NFL's new playoff overtime rules, only two songs are nominated in the best original song category at the 84th Academy Awards, which airs today on ABC - Sergio Mendes' "Real in Rio," an ersatz samba from the animated feature "Rio," and "Man or Muppet," a cardboard and felt ballad written by "Flight of the Conchords" star Bret McKenzie for "The Muppets."

No, it wasn't their best work, but surely one or two tunes that were written for people over the age of 12 should have made a list. As a kicker, neither of the nominated songs will be performed during the live broadcast, which is frankly a bit of a relief.

The best original song category has always been a weak spot for the Oscars, with most of the prizes automatically going to either Randy Newman or whatever schmaltzy Disney ballad happened to come out the previous year. But there are a few instances when, even spoiled for choice, the academy nailed it. Here are the nine best original song winners.

The moment people remember most is Irglová getting cut off during her acceptance speech (host Jon Stewart remedied that after the commercial break), but its triumph in an admittedly lean year presented one of the rare heartwarming moments that award shows rarely conjure without someone dying.

The first rap song to win an Oscar - just two decades after the genre took popular culture by storm - was such a longshot that Eminem slept through the ceremony, convinced he could never win. It's not only one of his finest singles, but it also paved a path for Three 6 Mafia's victory three years later with "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."

It would have been nice to see Björk take the prize for "I've Seen It All," since she went through the effort of dressing like a swan, but the rattling blues romp that signaled one of Dylan's many comebacks does the trick just as well. The trick being, not letting Randy Newman win.

OK, so the song didn't win the Oscar. How could it, going up against "My Heart Will Go On," the be-all-to-end-all pop ballad? But the fact that a visibly nervous Smith got to go onstage in front of all those big stars in his white suit and pour his heart out was victory enough.

By some miracle, this wah-wah-pedal-drenched funk classic topped whatever song was nominated from the cinematic take on "Bedknobs and Broomsticks." The 2 1/2-minute buildup to the opening verse is just about the best 2 1/2 minutes you can ever hope to experience.

Give or take the covers by Morrissey and Sarah Vaughan, no one has come close to topping the original version of this song, delivered by Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), who strums the acoustic guitar on that fire escape as Paul Varjak (George Peppard) types, "She lived alone except for a nameless cat."

Judy Garland, who played Dorothy, turned it into her signature song. Years later, Hawaiian musician Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole' paired it with "What a Wonderful World" and turned it into a tear-jerking ukulele classic.